FY22 CPD Accreditation 

Cohort Annual Report 

Nazmia Comrie 

Matthew Lysakowski 

Gilbert Moore 

Elizabeth Simpson 
2 FY22 CPD Accreditation Cohort Annual Report
Introduction 

Law enforcement agency (LEA) accreditation is a self-initiated process of adopting and 

maintaining standardized policies and procedures. LEAs operate within a specific set of stateand/or nationally recognized standards that are determined and defined by an accreditation 

body. To obtain accreditation, an LEA must work with a state or national accreditation body 

to develop and adopt a specific set of operational standards, the number of which varies by 

accreditation entity, and maintain compliance during the accreditation period. Tribal LEAs 

may seek accreditation through either state or national accreditation bodies. 

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing 

Services (COPS Office) support agency accreditation and recognize the importance of adhering 

to the highest standards of police policies and operations. The community benefits when its 

law enforcement personnel follow standardized policies and procedures that provide efficient, 

effective, and fair policing. Agency accreditation helps to ensure the accountability and 

transparency that can enhance communities’ confidence and trust in law enforcement. 

In 2021, the COPS Office launched the FY2021 Accreditation solicitation as a separate funding 

opportunity through the Community Policing Development (CPD) program. The solicitation 

included the following subcategories: 

• Addressing Gaps in State Accreditation. Establishment of accreditation entities in states 

that do not have an accreditation body. 

• Enhancing Existing Law Enforcement Accreditation Entities. Support and enhancement 

of existing law enforcement accreditation bodies to increase the number of agencies 

accredited. 

• Supporting Tribal Agency Accreditation. Support of an accreditation body in assisting 

tribal law enforcement agencies through the accreditation process. 

• Supporting Law Enforcement Agencies in Seeking Accreditation. Support to law 

enforcement agencies seeking accreditation. 

The COPS Office received 109 applications across all subcategories and funded 56 

organizations and agencies for $3,800,738 (see appendix for the full list of recipients). This 

included seven cooperative agreements across the first three subcategories (one under Addressing 
4 FY22 CPD Accreditation Cohort Annual Report

 

 

 

Gaps in State Accreditation, five under Enhancing Existing Law Enforcement Accreditation Entities, 

and one under Supporting Tribal Agency Accreditation; see table 1) and 49 grants under the 

Supporting Law Enforcement Agencies in Seeking Accreditation category.1 

LEA Grant Agency Types – 47 Total Funded 

Municipal, 33 

Sheriff, 6 

School, 1 Campus, 5 

Tribal, 1 Attorney General, 1 

 Two of these 49 agencies did not accept their awards, so the appendix and subsequent analyses only 

include 47 agencies. 

1

Table 1. Accreditation bodies that received an award in 2021 

Accreditation body Award category 

Arizona Chiefs of Police Supporting Tribal Agency Accreditation 

International Association of 

Campus Law Enforcement Administrators 

Enhancing Existing Law Enforcement Accreditation 

Michigan Association of Chiefs 

of Police 

Enhancing Existing Law Enforcement Accreditation 

New Hampshire Department of 

Justice 

Enhancing Existing Law Enforcement Accreditation 

New Mexico Association of 

Counties 

Enhancing Existing Law Enforcement Accreditation 

South Carolina Law Enforcement Accreditation Enhancing Existing Law Enforcement Accreditation 

University of Kansas – Kansas Law Enforcement Training 

Center 

Addressing Gaps in State Accreditation 

For the Supporting Law Enforcement Agencies in Seeking Accreditation category, the 47 recipients 

include 33 municipalities, six sheriffs’ offices, five campus agencies, one school agency, one 

tribal agency, and one office of the inspector general across 27 states (see figure 1). 

Figure 1. Types of Law Enforcement Agencies Funded in 2021 
Introduction 5 

In 2022, the COPS Office again offered the FY2022 Accreditation solicitation through the 

CPD program. The solicitation included the following subcategories: 

•	 Addressing Gaps in State Accreditation. Establishment of accreditation entities in 

states that do not have an accreditation body. 

•	 Enhancing Existing Law Enforcement Accreditation Entities. Support and 

enhancement of existing law enforcement accreditation bodies to increase the number 

of agencies accredited. 

•	 Supporting Law Enforcement Agencies in Seeking Accreditation. Support to law 

enforcement agencies seeking accreditation. 

The COPS Office received 79 applications across all subcategories: 10 under Enhancing Existing 

Law Enforcement Accreditation Entities and 69 under Supporting Law Enforcement Agencies in 

Seeking Accreditation. No applications were received under Addressing Gaps in State Accreditation. 

A total of 47 applications were awarded funding, with eight being funded under Supporting Law 

Enforcement Agencies in Seeking Accreditation and 39 under Supporting Law Enforcement Agencies in 

Seeking Accreditation. 
 

CPD Accreditation Cohort 

To manage the Accreditation cooperative agreements and grants, a team of Community 

Policing Advancement Directorate staff (Accreditation Cohort) works cooperatively to provide 

opportunities for learning for all recipients and to assist in standardizing their management 

and oversight. The Accreditation Cohort coordinates technical assistance to support project 

management and implementation and to highlight successes and lessons learned for other 

agencies seeking accreditation. 

In 2021, the Accreditation Cohort’s accomplishments included the following: 

• Individual kickoff meetings held for all cooperative agreement recipients in November/ 

December 2021. 

• Internal coordination via regular meetings and communication channels. 

• A community of practice (CoP) was established to provide quarterly networking opportunities 

for all accreditation award recipients. To date, three webinars have been conducted, a kickoff 

and two quarterly meetings, with informative presentations and practical discussions about 

award administration. The attendees were encouraged to pose questions and share information 

as appropriate. These meetings have been well attended, with over half the FY2021 cohort in 

attendance at each. The cohort team has planned and executed all three meetings. 

 The kickoff meeting for grant award recipients was held on December 8, 2021 with 

approximately 80 attendees. The COPS Office Communications team facilitated 

the kickoff, and all cohort team members presented during the Webex meeting. The 

following topics were presented: 

	Overview of COPS Office 

	Accreditation Award Overview and Objectives 

	Award Package and Recipient Materials 

	JustGrants Navigation 

	Future Cohort Meetings 

	Summary and Next Steps. 
CPD Accreditation Cohort 7 

 The first quarterly meeting was held April 13, 2022. Agenda included a presentation 

by the Accreditation Program Manager for the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police, 

and a presentation on management of awards in JustGrants. Time was also included 

for participants to discuss potential topics for future meetings. Approximately 43 

accreditation recipients attended the meeting. 

 The second quarterly meeting was held on August 24, 2022. Agenda included 

project update presentations by the following FY2021 award recipients: Phoenix (AZ) 

Police Department, The Dalles (OR) Police Department, Tulsa (OK) Community 

College, Gun Lake Tribe (MI) Public Safety Department. The group discussed award 

administration questions and potential topics for future meetings. Approximately 35 

accreditation recipients attended the meeting. 

• Development of the Law Enforcement Agency (LEA) Accreditation webpage (https:// 

cops.usdoj.gov/LEA_accreditation). The page launched in the Community Policing Topics 

resources section of the COPS Office website on May 19, 2022. It has an interactive map 

of state and national accreditation bodies with links to the organizations. The page also has 

links to resources and publications. 

• Coordination of two articles for the CP Dispatch monthly newsletter: 

 In the March 2022 issue, “CALEA Accreditation is for Smaller Agencies Too!”, 

written by Dave Kurz, Interim Police Administrator, Swampscott (MA) Police 

Department. Describes the accreditation process and the benefits of accreditation for 

smaller agencies. 

 In the August 2022 issue, “New Kansas Law Enforcement Accreditation Program,” 

written by the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC). Describes the 

newly created voluntary state accreditation program. 
-

Agency Accreditation Progress 

COPS Office funding allows award recipients to obtain any state or national accreditation. 

Generally, accreditation is a five-step process: (1) enrollment, (2) self-assessment, (3) assessment, 

(4) commission review and decision, and (5) maintaining compliance and reaccreditation. 

Of the 32 recipients with available statuses, the majority are in the self-assessment phase (38 

percent), followed by assessment (15 percent) and maintaining compliance and reaccreditation 

(9 percent) (see figure 2). 

Figure 2. Agency Accreditation Status in 2021 

Accreditation Phases of Grant Recipients 

Enrollment 

9% 

Self assessment 

38% 

Assessment 

Commission review 15%

Not Available 

32% 

Maintaining 

compliance and 

reaccreditation 

4% 

and decision 

2% 
Case Studies 

The following case studies highlight some successes and innovations from the 2021 CPD 

Accreditation award recipients. 

Doña Ana County (NM) Sheriff’s Office

Spurred by New Mexico legislation regarding qualified immunity, the Doña Ana County 

(NM) Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) is undertaking accreditation to raise the bar of performance for 

their agency and the surrounding region. The DCSO set the following goals for accreditation: 

improve operational practices, increase accountability, reduce liability costs, and increase 

governmental and community support. In March 2021, DCSO started the Commission 

Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) Tier 1 accreditation process, which 

requires agencies to meet 181 standards, ranging from the Oath of Office to evidence/property 

control systems and grievance procedures. 

With FY2021 CPD Accreditation funds, the DCSO completed the first revamp of all their 

policies and procedures. They posted the resulting 900-page policy document on their agency 

website and on the social media pages of the agency and the County and presented the policies 

and procedures to the Board of County Commissions in February 2022. There was an open 

comment period for agency personnel (sworn and civilians) and the general community. The 

agency received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the community, as well as interest from 

surrounding law enforcement agencies wanting to adopt their policies and learn more about 

accreditation. As of August 2022, the DCSO is in the assessment phase of accreditation. 

Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center 

Since 1968, the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) of the University of Kansas 

has served as the headquarters for all law enforcement training in Kansas. Through its presence 

on the main campus and its seven certified satellite academies, KLETC advances its statutory 

mission of “the promotion and development of improved law enforcement personnel and 

procedures throughout the state, and . . . such programs and courses of instruction designed to 

fulfill this end.” 

With FY2021 CPD Accreditation funds, KLETC filled a gap by establishing a voluntary state 

accreditation program, the Kansas Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (KLEAP), where 

no state-level law enforcement accreditation program existed previously. KLEAP accepted 

the first accreditation applicants during August 2022 and continues outreach to engage LEA 
10 FY22 CPD Accreditation Cohort Annual Report

leadership. The KLEAP accreditation program has 167 standards and program procedures that 

an agency will need to meet to pass all five steps of accreditation. KLEAP enjoys support and 

participation from staff at KLETC, the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Kansas 

Sheriffs’ Association. 

Phoenix (AZ) Police Department 

In 2020, the City of Phoenix and Phoenix (AZ) Police Department (PPD) leadership set out 

to obtain accreditation via the Arizona Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ALEAP). 

Obtaining accreditation was added to the PPD Strategic Plan, ensuring that the process and 

activities fell within the guiding values of the PRIDE statement: P – Protection and Prevention; 

R – Responsibility and Respect; I – Integrity and Ideals; D – Dedication to Duty; and E – 

Employee Excellence. 

Six personnel were assigned to the accreditation process and lead the 24-month process, which 

involves 405 action items. The agency is currently using LEAN Management Principles to 

guide the accreditation process; these principles include eliminating waste (standardization), 

leveraging technology, and quality assurance. The team huddles weekly to ensure they are 

sharing information, working through challenges, and celebrating the small wins along the 

way. An external city auditor has been brought in to assist with quality assurance. Finally, the 

PPD has adopted PowerDMS software agency-wide to manage its entire policy lifecycle through 

electronic signature capture, revision tracking, and overall resource modernization. 

As of October 2022, PPD is in the assessment phase of accreditation, with the goal of obtaining 

accreditation in January 2023. 

The Dalles (OR) Police Department 

The Dalles (OR) Police Department (DPD) chose to begin the accreditation process in 2021 as 

a strategic improvement initiative of Chief Tom Worthy. The DPD is undergoing accreditation 

via the Oregon Accreditation Alliance, while at the same time incorporating principles of 

the Final Report of the Task Force on 21s Century Policing. The team developed a project delivery 

lifecycle which set a defined end goal for the accreditation process and metrics to hold the team 

accountable to identified milestones on a weekly basis. 

Throughout the process, the team has engaged in informational sessions with agency personnel 

to help with buy in and explain the “why bother” question. The team developed a monthly 

scorecard that allowed them to measure their progress, which was paired with a project burn-
Case Studies 11 

down chart that reflected effort against projected timelines. The DPD is also prioritizing 

keeping the team energized and excited about milestones by publicly acknowledging their 

accomplishments within the agency and through external public engagements. 

Chief Worthy said, “We are using the accreditation process to identify areas of strength, 

weakness, or opportunities withing our department. Changes are being implemented based on 

industry best practices for policing supported by outside experts and the Final Report of the Task 

Force on 21 Century Policing. I am excited to see the overall improvement in the department and 

the services that we deliver to our community. We are now and will always be a true community 

policing agency.” As of October 2022, the DPD is in the assessment phase of accreditation, 

with the goal to obtain full accreditation in early 2023. 
Appendix. FY 21 CPD 

Accreditation Recipients 

State Agency Name Award Amount 

Addressing Gaps in State Accreditation 

KS UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS CENTER FOR RESEARCH, 

INC.* $100,000 

Enhancing Existing Law Enforcement Accreditation Entities 

MI MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION OF CHIEF OF POLICE* $99,760 

NH JUSTICE, NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF* $100,000 

NM NEW MEXICO ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, THE* $68,285 

SC SOUTH CAROLINA LAW ENFORCEMENT 

ACCREDITATION, INC.* $99,200 

VA INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CAMPUS LAW 

ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATORS, INC.* $99,980 

Support Law Enforcement Agencies Seeking Accreditation 

AK UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE $74,997 

AL SPANISH FORT, CITY OF $75,000 

AR SEARCY, CITY OF $75,000 

AZ PHOENIX, CITY OF $75,000 

CT STAMFORD, CITY OF $74,868 

FL HARDEE, COUNTY OF $75,000 

FL NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA $74,972 

FL NORTH BAY VILLAGE, CITY OF $75,000 

FL PALM SPRINGS, VILLAGE OF $75,000 

GA CHATSWORTH, CITY OF $28,989 

GA HENRY, COUNTY OF $74,175 

GA SAVANNAH-CHATHAM COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION $18,315 

IA WAUKEE, CITY OF $75,000 

KY FLEMINGSBURG, CITY OF $75,000 

LA LAFAYETTE CITY MARSHAL’S OFFICE $74,211 

MA FITCHBURG, CITY OF (INC) $71,227 

MA SOUTH HADLEY, TOWN OF $5,300 

MI BIG RAPIDS, CITY OF $75,000 

MI CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF BROWNSTOWN $74,335 

MI DUNDEE, VILLAGE OF $61,120 

MI HOUGHTON, CITY OF $37,903 

MI IRONWOOD, CITY OF $21,300 
Appendix 13 

MI KALAMAZOO, CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF $74,999 

MI MARYSVILLE, CITY OF $75,000 

MI 

MATCH-E-BE-NASH-SHE-WISH BAND OF 

POTTAWATOMI INDIANS 

$51,205 

MN CITY OF DULUTH $45,000 

NH EXETER POLICE DEPARTMENT $29,580 

NM DONA ANA, COUNTY OF $74,956 

NY SYRACUSE, CITY OF $74,612 

NY WALLKILL, TOWN OF $73,748 

OK CITY OF GUTHRIE $75,000 

OK TULSA COMMUNITY COLLEGE $75,000 

OR COUNTY OF LANE $75,000 

OR DALLES, CITY OF THE $74,750 

OR GRANTS PASS, CITY OF $75,000 

OR JACKSON, COUNTY OF $75,000 

PA SCRANTON, CITY OF (INC) $74,272 

PA SPRINGFIELD, TOWNSHIP OF $54,700 

PA TOWNSHIP OF LOWER MORELAND $11,451 

PA WAYNESBORO, BOROUGH OF $45,264 

RI WESTERLY, TOWN OF $75,000 

TX FAIRVIEW, TOWN OF $75,000 

TX MISSION, CITY OF $21,116 

VA OFFICE OF THE STATE INSPECTOR GENERAL $37,841 

WA EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY $74,809 

WI DODGE COUNTY $75,000 

WI MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY $75,000 

Supporting Tribal Agency Accreditation 

AZ ARIZONA ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE, INC.* $148,498 

* Indicates Cooperative Agreement 
14 FY22 CPD Accreditation Cohort Annual Report

U.S. Department of Justice 

Offce of Community Oriented Policing Services 

145 N Street NE 

Washington, DC 20530 

To obtain details about COPS Offce programs, 

call the COPS Offce Response Center 

at 800-421-6770. 

Visit the COPS Offce online at cops.usdoj.gov.